The MLS Players Association released the 2026 salary data on Tuesday, offering an early glimpse into the earnings of new stars and the total wage expenditure across all 30 clubs.
Lionel Messi remains the league’s highest-paid player by a wide margin, earning a guaranteed $28.33 million. This figure does not include his future ownership stake in Inter Miami or other incentives, though team owner Jorge Mas has previously stated that when all factors are considered, Messi’s total annual compensation ranges between $70 million and $80 million. Even so, Messi’s guaranteed salary exceeds the entire wage bill of every other MLS club except LAFC.
In a league with a salary cap, the MLSPA data provides valuable insight but only tells part of the story about what clubs spend on their first teams. The most significant flexibility for increased discretionary spending lies with designated players, as teams can pay up to three players any amount they choose, while only a fixed fee—$803,125 for a senior DP this year—counts against the salary cap.
In essence, clubs can create more cap room through General Allocation Money, but the simplest way to boost overall salary expenditure is by paying a DP a large salary.
Critically, these totals do not include transfer fees. For example, the Philadelphia Union paid a club-record fee of around $4.5 million to sign forward Ezekiel Alladoh, but in this release, he only accounts for his $540,000 salary. Philadelphia, the reigning Supporters’ Shield winners now languishing at the bottom of the table, is the lowest-spending team in MLS in terms of salary alone, with just one player earning more than $1 million per year.
These figures also exclude costs for infrastructure, front office, and support staff. So while they don’t offer a complete picture, they are an important slice of information and a valuable resource for financial transparency.
Here are the key takeaways from the MLSPA salary release:
**Top 10 Highest-Paid Players in MLS**
| Player | Guaranteed Compensation |
|——–|————————|
| Lionel Messi, Inter Miami | $28.3M |
| Son Heung-min, LAFC | $11.2M |
| Rodrigo De Paul, Inter Miami | $9.7M |
| Chucky Lozano, San Diego FC | $9.3M |
| Miguel Almirón, Atlanta United | $7.9M |
| Emil Forsberg, Red Bull New York | $6M |
| Sam Surridge, Nashville SC | $5.9M |
| Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy | $5.8M |
| Jonathan Bamba, Chicago Fire | $5.6M |
| Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC | $5.4M |
Messi’s figure towers over the rest, making him the highest-paid player in MLS history. Son Heung-min, whose transfer fee last summer set a league record, is second, with a salary similar to last season. Rodrigo De Paul’s compensation jumped significantly from 2025 after his permanent move from Atlético Madrid, while Thomas Müller also saw a bump with the Whitecaps after his option was picked up.
Two of the top 10 will not play for their clubs this season, albeit for different reasons: Riqui Puig is out injured for a second consecutive year, and Chucky Lozano has been frozen out by San Diego FC and is training alone.
**MLS Teams Ranked by Expenditure**
| Club | Guaranteed Compensation |
|——|————————|
| Inter Miami | $54.6M |
| LAFC | $32.7M |
| Atlanta United | $27.9M |
| LA Galaxy | $26.4M |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | $24.6M |
| San Diego FC | $24.4M |
| FC Cincinnati | $23.5M |
| Nashville SC | $23M |
| Columbus Crew | $22.3M |
| Chicago Fire | $21.7M |
| Red Bull New York | $21.7M |
| NYCFC | $21.5M |
| Charlotte FC | $21.5M |
| Toronto FC | $21.4M |
| Houston Dynamo | $20.9M |
| Austin FC | $19.9M |
| New England Revolution | $19.4M |
| Seattle Sounders | $19.1M |
| St. Louis City | $18.8M |
| Portland Timbers | $18.5M |
| San Jose Earthquakes | $15.8M |
| Minnesota United | $15.6M |
| Real Salt Lake | $15.3M |
| D.C. United | $14.6M |
| FC Dallas | $14.5M |
| Colorado Rapids | $14.1M |
| Orlando City | $13.7M |
| CF Montréal | $13.4M |
| Sporting KC | $12.4M |
| Philadelphia Union | $11.7M |
Miami, with two of the three most expensive players, leads this category as it has every year since Messi arrived. The Whitecaps, often lower in these rankings—including 21st last year—jump into the top five. The club’s future is uncertain amid a bid from Grant Gustavson to buy and relocate the team to Las Vegas.
As typical in this league, the bottom 20 teams are separated by just $10 million, the same gap between teams 5 and 25. At the bottom, the Union moved on from several key players this winter, including Kai Wagner, Jakob Glesnes, Tai Baribo, and Mikael Uhre—four of their top five earners. It’s no surprise the club is struggling in 2026. Sporting KC, second from bottom, is on pace to be one of the worst teams in league history despite having two DPs. Orlando City will climb this list after the summer transfer window when French star Antoine Griezmann joins in July.
**New Stars and New Contracts**
| Player | Compensation |
|——–|————-|
| Josh Sargent, Toronto FC | $5.2M |
| Thomas Müller, Vancouver Whitecaps | $5.2M |
| Denis Bouanga, LAFC | $4.9M |
| Facundo Torres, Austin FC | $4.4M |
| Timo Werner, San Jose Earthquakes | $4.3M |
| Miles Robinson, FC Cincinnati | $4M |
| Cristian Espinoza, Nashville SC | $2.3M |
| Sergio Reguilon, Inter Miami | $1.8M |
| Dayne St. Clair, Inter Miami | $809K |
| James Rodriguez, Minnesota United | $684K* |
*All salaries are amortized over a full season. James is set to leave after half a year.
Toronto FC’s long pursuit of Josh Sargent resulted in a major investment, securing the American star for a fee over $20 million and a contract that places him just outside the top 10. Müller, whose first half-year compensation was $1.44 million, officially became a DP with a new figure of $5.15 million. Denis Bouanga, courted by numerous teams this winter—including a bold bid from Inter Miami and strong interest from Brazil’s Fluminense—signed a new deal to remain in LA, lifting his previous salary from $3.7 million. Miles Robinson, who signed a new contract last summer, became the league’s highest-paid center back by a wide margin and occupies a DP spot for Cincinnati.
Miami reloaded this winter and surprisingly kept Tadeo Allende on a non-DP deal, while free agent signing Dayne St. Clair was capped by what the team could offer. James Rodriguez is listed at $684,000, but with his expected departure after the World Cup, he will be paid $342,000 for his stint with Minnesota.
**All-Budget XI**
| Position | Player | Compensation |
|———-|——–|————-|
| GK | Brian Schwake, Nashville SC | $167K |
| CB | Reid Roberts, San Jose Earthquakes | $88K |
| CB | Lucas Herrington, Colorado Rapids | $235K |
| CB | Morrison Agyemang, Charlotte FC | $262K |
| RW | Zavier Gozo, Real Salt Lake | $126K |
| CM | Beau Leroux, San Jose Earthquakes | $250K |
| CM | Sebastian Berhalter, Vancouver Whitecaps | $480K |
| CM | Anibal Godoy, San Diego FC | $358K |
| LW | Matty Dos Santos, Red Bull New York | $105K |
| F | Preston Judd, San Jose Earthquakes
